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What was your first job?

More of an icebreaker question this time, reminiscing can be fun, so what was your first job?

Bonus, did that job have any influence on your business or personality?


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My first "real" job not working for my parents was when I was 19 as an AutoCAD engineer for an engineering company that was subcontracted with MIT, NASA, JPL, FSU, and many more.  One of the first projects I worked on there was Project Stardust which was a mission to take samples of cosmic dust from the comet Wild 2.  Quite the first big project for a hillbilly farm boy.

The impact that job had on me was right away that nothing is really impossible when you can set your goals higher than I ever thought were possible.  I also learned how not to act as a boss.  There were 2 owners there and one was fine and one was the type to blame everyone and still lived in the 60s where racism and sexism were fine.  I will always remember being in a meeting with the 6 managers and 2 owners and me being there less than 2 months getting yelled at for loosing 300k on a 3 million dollar bid.  I knew with my quote that was not possible, and it was because the boss had decided we had to get the job so he bid 600k than my bid and I found that out,  I was too dumb/new in corporate to know not to bring up the fact he lost us $300k, not me, in the next meeting, so I got myself a 1 week not paid timeout.

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WOW! This is straight out of Horrible Bosses. I'm so sorry you went through that type of treatment but it was clearly a great learning experience - the job itself, working in corporate, and having a bad boss. 

️ Hailey
Seller Community Marketing Manager
Square Seller Community
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I was a greeter at the 2000's US Open in Pebble Beach, CA.  It was super fun and I met a ton of celebrities and just people from all over the world.  Got paid a whopping $350 for 10 days worth of work and spend it all on a pair of boots that I just donated to Goodwill a few weeks ago!!!

Doran

Esthetician
Haute Beauty Guide
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I used to volunteer at this event every year when I was in high school!

Max Pete
Community Engagement Program Manager, Square
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The US Open, how cool!

Jacqueline Mull
Owner of Jackie's Uniquely U Boutique
Owner of Uniquely U Anime

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@Doran 25 years of boot life (plus more with the next owner)... NOT A BAD INVESTMENT! You got your money's worth and some 

️ Hailey
Seller Community Marketing Manager
Square Seller Community
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I was a bus boy in an Italian restaurant and got paid under the table because I was 14 and not legally able to work yet 😂

 

Getting $20 in tips and feeling so rich, what a time!

Max Pete
Community Engagement Program Manager, Square
Square Community
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LOL same max! I was a bus girl at the pizza joint my mom served at when I was 15 years old. She would make me go to work with her and bus tables whenever I was grounded (so... I bussed a lot 🙈)

 

She told the servers not to tip me because it was my punishment being there but I was so good at it that they all ended up paying me anyway. 😏

nika
Beta Community Manager, Square
Join the Beta Community
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LOL @nika maybe it was a reverse psychology strategy to get them to pay you more 

️ Hailey
Seller Community Marketing Manager
Square Seller Community
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THIS! 

Lovewell Tea & Coffee//
Ventura, Ca


https://www.lovewellteaandcoffee.com/
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My first paid gig was helping a guy mow lawns, but I was a youngin' and was paid cash weekly. My first real job was washing dishes in a little mexican restaurant that was walking distance from my home. Worst part about that job was that the kitchen manager had a rule that all back of house staff had to leave at the same time. The kitchen guys would wait until the last minute to bring the pot of refried beans that was simmering all day then sit around the dish pit yelling at me to hurry up so they could go home. Learned plenty of Spanish curse words there, still proudly use them today.

Ryan Wanner
Golden Pine Coffee Roasters
Colorado Springs, CO, USA

Square Champion: I know stuff.
Beta Tester: I break stuff.
he/him/hey you/coffee guy/whatever.

Happy Selling!
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The Spanish curse word education is priceless @ryanwanner 

️ Hailey
Seller Community Marketing Manager
Square Seller Community
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My first job was as a janitor at my high school for my junior and senior years. After sitting in class with them, cleaning up after everyone else was an interesting experience. 🤐

Adam
Square Community, Platform
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Listening to music and cleaning = good
cleaning up after your peers, liked and disliked ones = not good 

️ Hailey
Seller Community Marketing Manager
Square Seller Community
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@AdamB test test, please ignore 🙂

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LOVE this question. 
First job (for Emily) was a coffee shop (for tips at 16) obviously that had a huge impact. I always said I wanted to be a barista when I got “older”

 

THEN first paying job was Chick Fil A. That had a HUGE impact on how we do customer service & hospitality. It is a huge part of their ethos. 

Andrea’s first job was in a restaurant! Also had a huge impact on how we serve people. 

 

Lovewell Tea & Coffee//
Ventura, Ca


https://www.lovewellteaandcoffee.com/
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getting trained at Chic-fil-A sets you on the right path to be a successful retail employee for sure.  They have it down to teach the ways of customer service and quality, kind, accuracy, and speed.

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My first job was in retail.  I was a sales clerk in a fabric store... for those of us in the Community who are 50+, you may remember House of Fabrics or So-Fro Fabrics.  I've been a seamstress since the age of seven.  Yes, seven.  I made my first outfit at that age.  I've been sewing professionally since 19.

 

I definitely think that having a great first boss helped me in the workforce and I gained experience that I couldn't get anywhere else.  I learned how to count and sort bills quickly because of her, I got better at fractions because of working in the store and I learned what clean and organized should really look like.  I've carried all of that with me through life.

Co-Owner/Business Manager
Arctic Heat
R&C Property Management
Event Planner/Business Trainer
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This is such a random one- but I worked at the local fried chicken spot for 4 hours and got fired LOLOL.

 

My next job was soliciting phone donations for Long Island Citizen's Campaign for Environment for their clean water fund. They're actually still in business and doing great work as it relates to ground water.

 

For me, those early cold calling sales skills were the foundation for my current sales skills 🙂 thankfully I don't have to cold call anymore

Dina
Co-Owner Amityville Apothecary
www.shopamityvilleapothecary.com
Instagram | TikTok @AmityvilleApothecary

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